Chuck loses the flash and Morgan gains the zoom!

Chuck is back for what is expected to be its last season with the premiere, “Chuck Versus the Zoom.” Chuck and the team are no longer working for or with the CIA. Instead the CIA with Clyde Decker in the lead is working to bring them down.

Decker clearly doesn’t like Chuck Bartowski, but the question remains — why? What were the CIA’s original plans for Chuck? Was he an experiment? I really want to know if General Beckman was a part of or at least apprised of the top secret Project Chuck Bartowski. Given that she left Chuck the intersect glasses (that Morgan put on), either way, she seems to be on Team Chuck. Which leads me to the even bigger questions — is Steve Bartowski involved and is he still alive?

While those are this season’s or at least the first arc’s major questions, personally everyone’s going through a transition from their old lives to their new ones. Chuck is not only adjusting to life as a newlywed; he has to adjust to life as a spy without the intersect. The second seems to be much more difficult for him as the masseuse scene showed. Though, he does still have the intellect to get him and the team out of a difficult situation. That will hopefully be enough for him. I’m surprised that he doesn’t have at least a little muscle memory to get him through.

To make matters worse for Chuck, his best friend, Morgan is now the intersect and zooms instead of flashes. I love that Morgan wasn’t a natural with the intersect and still has a bit of his natural clumsiness in him. His gymnastics ability was quite impressive, despite his fumble fingers with the vase. In this final season, I’m looking forward to seeing this change play out. In the end, I wouldn’t mind if either Chuck gets the intersect back again or is satisfied with his life with Sarah sans the intersect.

Overall, this was a classic Chuck episode that will be enjoyed for years to come. I can’t wait to see what surprises are coming this season!

Other stuff:

• Lester and Jeff — what won’t these guys do?
• Sarah sure knows how to break Chuck — actually any man — sexy outfits. Worked with a belly dancer outfit, now lingerie.
• I missed Awesome and the “other” Bartowski family. I hope this is not a sign of what’s to come the rest of the season. I liked the newlywed moments, but I missed the big family feel. At least we had an Ellie and Chuck bonding moment.
• How hilarious was the baseball scene with Morgan? Funny, but I’m giving it hilarious status given the baseball delay and come back by the St. Louis Cardinals caused Game 7 to conflict with the premiere.
• It was disappointing that Chuck couldn’t buy Sarah the house, but it works for them to all live around the same courtyard.
• The writers worked out the Volkoff money perfectly. They used the money to set up their spy business, but now have to work in order to continue. And, using the Buy More — love it! Nice way to keep the store relevant. Though, I’m getting a bit tired of Lester and Jeff’s schtick.
• At San Diego Comic-con, I asked a couple of the Chuck actors if they thought season five would be Chuck’s last season. They responded that they wouldn’t believe it until they were released from their contracts. Given NBC’s low ratings this season, I’m going to believe that a season six is a possibility … this is Chuck after all! The show that goes on and on and….

Clacked by Carla Day
on Oct 28, 2011 @ 21:01 EST5EDT